The Collision (Sequel to The Division)

Chapter 13 (Nichole)

The first thing I feel is my head throbbing from the pain. My eyes open slowly and adjust to the dim light above a metal table I sit behind. I scan the room cautiously until my eyes land on a figure a few feet ahead of me, standing in the shadows. The minute we make eye contact, anger floods through me. Lucky for him, I was restrained to this chair. Without it, I would have killed him in a heartbeat.

"Lucas." I growl, watching his smirk grow as he notices me lunge for him.

"Ah, Sleeping Beauty has awoken, finally." Most of him is hidden behind the light, but as he steps into it, I find myself looking at a completely different person. Instead of his usual relaxed expression, his features seem harsh and almost cruel. I look at his eyes but instead of seeing an unfocused gaze like Autumn once described to me, I see normality. It's as if every emotion he once had towards me, or what I thought he did, never existed. The eyes I look into now that were once filled with love are now replaced by anger, and maybe even disgust.

"Why?" I let the word fall breathlessly in the air between us. "How could you do this to me?"

"You were so easy to fool, Nichole," His hand lands on my cheek softly and I move away from it, not breaking eye contact while he continues, "You needed someone to love and trust, so I made myself that person. It wasn't difficult from there."

"So you've been lying to me this whole time?" I ask, not bothering to stop the tear falling down my cheek.

His response hurt, but the sneer that came with it almost brought me to tears, "Since the minute you interrogated me in that cell."

How could I have been so stupid? So gullible? I let myself fall for a façade, and now I have to pay the price. No matter how much it hurt.

"Why do you think I was in that cell in the first place? Why do you think I made an effort to get to know you? It was my job."

"So Icas has been working on this plan long before his arrival?"

"A plan like this needs a lot more than just an invasion. Everything that happened on this island was for a reason, but when the forcefield was deactivated, we had our chance to strike early."

"You make me sick."

"Aw, don't be rude. No point in wasting your final breaths with negative words." He makes his way around the table and pulls out a small knife to cut the rope attaching my right arm to the chair. Before I can make a move, he pins my forearm down. That's when I notice the machine sitting beside me, and the needle attached to a tube. My eyes shoot back to Lucas,

"What are you doing?"

"Oh yeah, I guess no one told you why everyone was being taken from the island. Long story short, we need all of your blood."

As soon as the words leave his mouth I test my restraints. Lucas curses under his breath and tries to hold me down, but I send a few icicles his way instead. "Stop." He says, but I ignore him, desperately trying to escape.

Then I feel a prick on the side of my neck, and everything goes black.

-::-::-

I knew I was dreaming within the first couple seconds of what I saw. It was the day of my kidnapping, and it seemed as if I was looking in on the scene.

I see myself sitting patiently in my room, waiting for the meeting I was supposed to attend that day. I remember hearing the news of River's sisters being taken as well. My eyes dart over to the man who enters the room soundlessly. I tense as I see Lucas walk up behind me. The next events are painful to relive.

"Nichole," Lucas's voice breaks the silence of the room. I turn around to face him with a slightly surprised smile.

"Lucas? What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting up later."